NAIROBI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- African leaders from eastern and southern Africa appointed five former presidents to an expanded panel of facilitators to advance the peace process in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at a virtual summit on Monday evening.

The newly appointed peace facilitators include former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba Panza, and former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde.

The summit, co-chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto and his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa, brought together leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

In his remarks, Ruto said leaders from the two regional blocs are committed to addressing the escalating conflict that has caused loss of lives, displacement of thousands, and a devastating humanitarian crisis.

Ruto, also the chairman of the EAC, noted that the situation poses a great danger not just to the DRC but to the stability of the EAC and the SADC regions.

Ruto commended Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi for their efforts to end the conflict, citing a face-to-face meeting last week in Doha, Qatar. "This is a clear demonstration on their part that they are equally committed to resolving the conflict in eastern DRC."

The summit also adopted the report on the outcomes of the joint EAC-SADC ministerial meeting held on March 17 in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, the report of the joint meeting of chiefs of defense, and the roadmap outlining the implementation measures to achieve long-term peace and security in the eastern DRC. Enditem

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